Bud Selig, MLB Leaning Toward Expanded Replay In 2012

NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) — Curtis Granderson charges hard from center field, chasing a sinking line drive. His glove, the ball and the grass all smack together at the same time. What’s the call?

Next year, it well could be: Let’s look at the replay!

Major League Baseball is leaning toward expanding video replay for 2012 to include trapped balls and fair-or-foul rulings down the lines, a person familiar with the talks tells The Associated Press.

MLB commissioner Bud Selig and a group of umpires discussed the extra video review at spring training and were in agreement, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter is still being discussed.

“Yeah to all of them, oh yeah,” St. Louis reliever Ryan Franklin said. “I just think they should all be called the right way, and it doesn’t matter if it takes an extra five minutes.”

“Don’t take so long between innings, cut 10 seconds off between every half-inning and that could make up for five minutes for the replay on a trapped ball or something like that,” he said. “It doesn’t happen that often.”

MLB began using replay late in the 2008 season, though only to check potential home run balls. The NFL, NBA, NHL and college sports already employ instant replay.

Since then, there have been a spate of missed calls in the playoffs and World Series.

Last October, Yankees right fielder Greg Golson clearly caught a low liner for the final out of Game 1 in the playoff series against Minnesota, but the umpire ruled the ball bounced. In the 2009 playoffs, Joe Mauer’s hit down the left-field line landed fair by a full foot (third of a meter) at Yankee Stadium, hopped into the seats and was mistakenly called a foul ball.

“You’re messing with the history of the game when you start messing with too much,” said San Francisco’s Aubrey Huff.

“We make mistakes, they make mistakes. You’re talking big home runs, that’s one thing. You’re talking out or safe at home, then why have umpires? Let the cameras make the calls. It’s just stupid.”

What’s your feeling on replay? Let us know in the comments below…

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)